Battle for Rockford's Top Cop

The Rockford Board of Police and Fire are in the final stages of deciding who will become Rockford's next Chief of Police.

The current chief, Jeff Nielson, decided to retire and has prompted the city's search to find his replacement.

It's the battle for Rockford's top cop. Each of the 10 candidates got a half hour to tell board members why they're the right person for the job. Five candidates met with board members last night and the last five met tonight. One of the biggest obstacles the new chief faces is figuring out how to overcome a major budget deficit that will most likely mean personnel cuts. Insiders say Deputy Chief Steve Pugh is the top candidate right now. But the board says whomever they chose should meet these standards:

The board will make their decision by Thursday morning and notify the candidates by letter. They're not saying how many candidates will make this final cut.

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